Transmission mechanism.



R. SPARUNG.

TRANSMISSION MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 20, I914.

Patented May 8, 1917.

UNTTED STATES PATENT ore-s ren.

ROWLAND SPARLING, F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR T0 DISPATCH MOTORCAR COMPANY, OF MINNEAFOLIS, WIINN'ESQTA, ACOEPQRATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

TRANSMISSION MECHANISM.

Application filed April 20, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROWLAND SPARLING, a citizen of the United States,residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennep'in and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTransmission Mechanism; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved transmissionmechanism for automobiles or motor propelled vehicles, wherein africtional variable speed differential gear mechanism is usedincombination with a. reversible toothed gear mechanism; and to suchends, generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices andcombinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claim.

The invention is illustratedin the accompanying drawings wherein likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views. Referringto the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view showing the improved transmission mechanismapplied to an automobile;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken approximately on the line00 m on Fig. 1; and

Fig. 8 is a plan view showing in detail, one of the laterally adjustableperipheral friction wheels of the variable speed differential gearmechanism.

Of the parts of the chassis of the automobile, it is only desirable tonote the framework 1, the front wheels 2, the rear axle 3, rear tractionwheels 1 and engine 5. The rear traction wheels 1 are mounted on therear axle 8 for differential rotary movements, and on their hubs theycarry sprockets 6. The engine crank shaft proper, at its rearwardlyprojected end, is, as shown, connected by a universal joint 7 to anaxially alined shaft 8 journaled in a gear casing 9 rigidly secured tothe framework 1. The gear casing 9 incloses the cooperating spur gearsof a reversible transmission mechanism. The front end of a shaft 10 thatis axially alined with the shaft 8, is also journaled in the casing 9,and at its rear end, as shown, is connected by a universal joint 11 tothe front end of an axially Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 8, 191%.

SerialNo. 833,100.

alined shaft 12 that is journaled in a suitable bearing 13 on theframework 1 andis equipped at its rear end with a face friction wheel lt. in frictional engagement with the peripheries and a pair ofperipheral friction wheels 15 that are keyed to rotate with, but mountedto slide upon a divided trans verse counter shaft 16 journaled insuitable bearings 17 and 17 secured on the frame 1. The abutting ends ofthe shaft section 16 are journaled to the central bearing 17-, and theouter end of one of the said shaft sections is provided with a sprocket18, and the projecting end of the other shaft section 16 is providedwith a spur gear 19, which latter meshes with a spur gear 20 secured onthe inner end of supplemental counter shaft 21 shown as journaled in abearing 22 on the adjacent side of the frame 1. The outer end ofthesupplemental counter shaft21 is provided with a sprocket 18 Sprocketchains 23 run over the sprockets 6 on the hubs of the traction wheels41:, and over the respective alined sprockets 18 and 18*.

The friction wheels 1 1-1515 constitute the variable speed differentialgear, and it will, of course, be understood that the gears 19 and 20 andsupplemental shaft 21 are provided for thepurpose of transmitting motionso that both traction wheels will be driven in the same direction fromthe reversely rotated friction wheels 15, which friction wheels arelocated on opposite sides of the axis of the face friction wheel 14which drives them.

The face friction wheel 14 runs As a simple and efficient means forsimultaneously moving the peripheral friction wheels 15 toward eachother to decrease the speed, or from each other to increase the speed, Iprovide bell crank levers 24 that are pivoted on the transverse bar ofthe frame 1, and the forwardly projecting ends of which have pins thatengage grooves 15 formed in the hubs of the said wheels 15. The inwardlyextended arms of the bell cranks 24 are connected by short links 25 toupwardly extended arms 26 secured on a transverse rock shaft 27. Thisrock shaft 27 is journaled in suitable bearings on the frame 1, and atone end has an arm 28 that is connected by a link 29 to an arm 30 of ashort rock shaft 31, which latter is ournaled in suitable hearings onthe frame 1. and pro vided with an operating lever 32, that willpreferably be located within reach of the drivers seat.

Obviously, a rearward movement of the lever 32 will cause the frictionwheels 15 to be moved laterally toward each other to thereby decreasespeed and increase power, while forward movement of the said lever 32will move the friction wheels 15, simultaneously, away from each other,so as to thereby increase speed, with, of course, the resultingdecreased power.

Any of the well known, or other suitable toothed gear reversingmechanism may be employed as a reversing device for this improvedtransmission mechanism, inasmuch as the broad idea of the inventionconsists in combining such toothed gear reversing device with a variablespeed frictional difierential gear mechanism.

As shown, this reversible toothed gear reversing device comprises asfollows:

The numeral 33 indicates a spur gear located within the case 9 andsecured to the rear end of the shaft section 8 and provided with a halfclutch 34. The numeral 35 indicates a spur gear that is keyed forsliding movements on the front end of the shaft section 10, and isprovided with a half clutch 36 that is engageable with the said halfclutch 34, so as to thereby directly connect the'shaft sections 8 and 10whendesired, or when the machine is to be driven forward. Secured in thelower portion of the casing 9 is a horizontal spindle 37 on which isjournaled a sleeve 38 that carries two spur gears 39 and a spur pinion40. The spur gear 39 is in constant mesh with the gear 33 on the shaftsection 8, while the pinion 40 is in constant mesh with a transmissiongear 41, shown in part in Fig. 2, and which will be suitably j ournaledwithin the casing 9, in a manner easily understood. When the gear 35 isslid so as to carry the half clutches 33 and 36 out of engagement, theshaft section 10 will be disconnected from the constantly running shaftsection 8; and when the said gear 35 is moved laterally into mesh withthe intermediate gear 41, the shaft section 10 will be driven from theshaft section 8 through the gears 33, 39, 40, 41 and 35, and the saidshaft 10 will be then driven backward in a reverse direction and at arelatively low speed as compared with the speed at which it is drivenwhen the said shaft sections 8 and 10 are coupled together.

With the construction described, as is evident, the half clutches 34 and36 afford a clutch for throwing the transmission mechanism into and outof action at will. However, in actual practice, suitable means, such forinstance as that illustrated in the copending application of Robert E.Carswell, Serial Number 831,358, filed of date, April 13, 1914, andentitled Transmission mechanism for automobiles, would preferably beprovided whereby the face friction wheel 14 may be moved into and out ofengagement with the peripheral friction wheels 15 at will, so as tothereby aiford a friction clutch for throwing the transmission mechanisminto and out of action, at will.

What I claim is:

The combination with the motor and traction wheels of a motor-propelledvehicle, of an engine driven shaft, a toothed reversing gear mechanisminterposed in said shaft, and a friction gear mechanism having threecooperating friction wheels, one of which is driven from said shaft andthe other two of which are connected, one to each of the traction wheelsof said vehicle.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROWLAND SPARLING.

Witnesses:

F. D. lWERoHAN'r, HARRY D. KILGoRE.

Copiesof this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G.

